Hedge Art

Sometimes Sommerdorf creates a sculpture from scratch, planting three or four different types of shrubs close together so that he can use the variations of color and texture in his work of art. Other times he creates a work of art wherever he finds it.

George Sommerdorf of Davis, California, has been shaving shrubs into sculptures for more than 20 years. If you go behind him on his various jobs, you might find a spouting whale, a ship or a squiggly sea serpent.

To begin with, Sommerdorf likes to start with healthy, vigorous shrubs--those that receive a lot of good air circulation, as well as the right amount of water and nutrients. Then he uses a power hedge trimmer to unleash the form he envisions.